The process of manipulating data to achieve the required objectives and results is called data processing. The software converts raw data into meaningful information. A series of actions or operations are performed on data to get the required output or result.
Activities in Data Processing
Different activities involved in data processing are as follows:
- Data capturing
- Data manipulation
- Managing output results
Data Capturing
The process of recording the data in some form is called data capturing. Data is captured before it can be processed. Data may be recorded on source documents. Data can also be given directly to the computer through input devices.
Data Manipulation
The process of applying different operations on data is called data manipulation. The following operations can be performed on data.
Classifying:
A process of organizing data into classes or groups is called classifying for example, the data in a college can be classified in two groups. The data of students may be in one group and data of teachers may be in second group.
Calculation:
A process of applying arithmetic operations on data is called calculation. The common calculations are addition, subtraction, multiplication and division etc.
Sorting:
The process of arranging data in a logical sequence is called sorting. The data can be sorted numerically or alphabetically.
Summarizing:
The process of reducing a large amount of data in a more concise and usable form is called summarizing. For example, people deposit money in banks daily. The data of bank can be summarized to show the total money deposited in a particular month instead of showing all deposits.
Managing output results.
The following activities can be performed on data after the data has been captured and manipulated:
Storage:
The process of retaining data for future use is called data storage. Different storage medium are used to store the data such as hard disks and tapes etc.
Retrieval:
The process of accessing or fetching the stored data is called data retrieval. The data can be retrieved as reports, graphs and charts etc.
Communication:
The process of transferring data from one location to another is called data communication. The data may be transferred to different locations for further processing. For example, the result can be sent to the students via email.
Reproduction:
The process of copying or duplicating data is called reproduction of data. Data can be reproduced if different users need data at different locations.
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